Module HEAS40530: Sexualities: Health, Cultures and Histories

Department: Health [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

HEAS40530: Sexualities: Health, Cultures and Histories

Prerequisites

• none

Corequisites

• none

Excluded Combination of Modules

• none

Aims

• To introduce students to theoretical approaches in gender and sexualities studies
• To engage at a deep level with socially, culturally and historically characteristic responses to sexualities and sexual health
• To critcally analyse current issues of sexual health and sexualities in different social and cultural contexts
• To identify changes and continuities in sexual knowledge and practices related to sexual health and sexualities
• To promote a deep understanding of the historicity of concepts of sexualities and sexual health

Content

• The seminars will cover key issues of sexualities and sexual health from the past to the present. In an introductory session, students will be introduced to the main theoretical approaches and concepts in gender and sexualities studies. The following seminar sessions will involve critical and extensive discussion of exemplary issues of sexualities and sexual health, covering the themes of sexual identities, sexual behaviours, sexual moralities.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module students should have:
• A deep understanding of topics related to sexualities and sexual health in specific cultural contexts and historical periods up to the present;
• Extensive knowledge of key writings on sexualities and sexual health.

• By the end of the module students should be able to:
• Evaluate different social, cultural and historical interpretations of key developments of sexualities and sexual health;
• Critically interpretate historical sources as well as contemporary material related to sexualities and sexual health;
• Present their analytical research on a selected topic about sexualities and sexual health in the form of a poster using both illustrations and short texts;
• Provide an accurate and engaging oral summary of their research
• Write a critical and well-informed essay on a selected topic about sexualities and sexual health.

• The ability to think critically and creatively and to argue coherently;
• The capacity for sustained interprofessional learning and work at an advanced level
• The ability to think independently, including problem-solving ability and the ability to discriminate and use judgement;
• The ability to communicate effectively across specialised subject and professional areas.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The seminars include a short introduction to the topic by the lecturer; students’ historical interpretation of selected sources; students’ short presentations of key primary and/or secondary literature; and joint critical discussion of pre-read research publications (partly in group work).
• Structured reading will allow students to pursue topics in greater detail enabling both familiarity with key texts and a deeper understanding of the subject knowledge generally.
• Independent study, research and analysis will focus students' knowledge more deeply by pursuing aspects of the module that are of special interest to themselves and exploring specific applications in their field of study.
• Assessment of students’ posters and oral presentations will test their ability to present their critical knowledge and understanding of key arguments and concepts in a visually appealing creative and focused form, to formulate a clear relevant research question, to contextualise their research in the wider social, cultural and historical context, and to communicate this verbally in a given time frame to the peer-group and lecturers in an accurate, direct and concise manner.
• Essay assessment will test students' critical knowledge and understanding of key concepts, their ability to argue coherently and communicate effectively in writing, and to reflectively assess their proficiency in thinking through how the various social, cultural and historical perspectives on sexualities and sexual health are represented in the literature.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment consists of a classroom presentation of 3 minutes on the topic of the summative assessed essay and a 2,500 word on a different topic; the formative essay will indicate to students the depth of their understanding and the relative strenght/weekness of their analysis.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University